How Should A CV Be?

Should a CV be interesting? Should it stand out? Should it show them why you you are good enough for the job you apply? 

Applying frantically to all the big shot law firms with a CV that thousands of other students will also have, I always wondered how they select on the basis of a CV. Let's be honest, here. The CV has to be in a given format that is prescribed, and most of the details that are asked is about your academic performances, and academic achievements. 

Another honest point that we must encounter is that there are a lot of brilliant students out there, and a lot of them have good CVs in a way that there is nothing to say one is better than the other. So, how then do they decide to give internship to one over the other?

I have two internship experiences, and on the last day, I asked this very question to the partners in both the firms. 

Firm 1 Partner: If you are a topper, I care, and if you are failure, I'm interested. If you are in the middle, it doesn't matter. I took you in because you had good scores. 

Firm 2 Partner: I don't really check the CV much. CV is a fraud, students obviously make it in a way and with the view to impress. I rely on the cover letter they write. If they have taken the efforts to write a genuine cover letter, I take them in. 

Well, within this meager sample space that I took opinions from, I have a conclusion that getting the internship-

a) it's mostly just luck, hahahahahaha(contd...)-  but not all of it!

b) there is nothing to feel bad about if you don't land an internship

c) also, there is nothing to feel too great about if you do get one

d) networking and keeping in touch with people you get to know from your internships is important- if you think you'll get on merit every time, you may be just wrong

e) you can't give up on the CV building

Be open to learning. Keep working, not just to get an internship. And, at least be brave enough to face truth, and write true achievements on the CV. You can state some achievement in a more polished way than it actually is, that's a talent (with which I feel I have come close to mastery). However, please don't write things you never did just so you can amp up your bio. 

COVID-19 has put an end to all internship talks for now (I have absolutely no complaints, and in fact, yay). So, focus on actual skill building, and not plain script building! This is a great time to do more productive things (of course, only if you want to) and then you can actually include them on the CV! Whether or not the list of things you did gets you a job, I am sure you will be that much prouder about yourself!